Roller straightening machine



July 29, 1969 F. .1. HAGEMANN ETAL ROLLER STRAIGHTENING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 19. 1967 y 1969 F. J. HAGEMANN ETAL 3,457,754

ROLLER STRAIGHTENING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 19, 1967 FIG. 2

July 29, 1969 F. J. HAGEMANN ETAL 3,457,754

ROLLER STRAIGHTENING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 19, 1967 United States Patent 3,457,754 ROLLER STRAIGHTENIN G MACHINE Franz Josef Hagemann and Karlheinz Wahl, Erkelenz, Rhineland, Germany, assignors to Maschinenund Bohrgerate-Fabrik Alfred Wirth & Co. K.G., Erkelenz, Germany, a German company Filed June 19, 1967, Ser. No. 647,091 Claims priority, application Germany, June 22, 1966,

Int. Cl. B21d1/02, 3/02 US. Cl. 72-164 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A roller straightening machine with variable spacing between the rollers, and which has a frame-shaped machine body constructed of a base plate, a bridge and two lateral uprights which are separate structural elements connected to the base plate and bridge (i.e. not formed integrally with the other structural parts).

The invention relates to a roller straightening machine, particularly a heavy straightening machine, with variable spacing between the rollers and which has a frame-shaped machine body constructed of a base plate, a bridge and two lateral uprights or supports.

The forces operative in such a machine while straightening is being carried out tend to shift the horizontal parts of the machine frame, i.e. the base plate and the bridge extending parallel to the latter, in opposite directions and thereby to widen the frame. Deformations of this kind are naturally disadvantageous and undesirable. In known forms of construction of these machines it has been attempted to reduce the bending of the machine frame, and thus maintain the required accuracy in the straightening work performed, by making the bridge located in the upper region of the machine and the base plate positioned below it as rigid as possible by appropriately dimensioning them. Limits are imposed on this policy by the permissible expense involved.

The continuously rising standards achieved in rolling mills and the increasing demands made by the users of their products lead to the production of ever increasing sizes of the profiled elements made. For example wideilanged beams of very great height are required for the bridge-building industry. It is only possible to straighten profiled elements of this kind of means of straightening machines of extremely robust construction having large spacing between the axles of the straightening rollers. In particular the problem has arisen of how to absorb the high loads operative during straightening due to the forces exerted by the axles of the straightening rollers on the elements being straightened, and thus to reduce the expansion caused to the machine frame.

It is no longer an answer to this problem to construct the machine frame of correspondingly larger component parts, as the machine weight and the expense involved are too high.

The invention has the object of removing the existing difficulties and of providing a straightening machine which opposes a high resistance to the forces tending to produce deformation, without thereby entailing undue consumption of material and excessive costs. The invention indicates how it is possible to construct, with relatively simple means, large and long straightening machines which satisfy modern requirements.

To this end the invention provides, in a machine of 3,457,754 Patented July 29, 1969 the kind defined at the outset, that the base plate and the bridge are interconnected, at least at one point between the lateral uprights or supports, by a structural element serving to absorb the tensile forces occurring during straightening work.

In this way it is possible to construct the bridge and base plate of the machine of less weight or to achieve greater rigidity of the machine for the same expenditure of materials as hitherto, while the same standards of straightening accuracy are maintained, unimpaired by deformations of the machine frame.

Manufacture and assembly of these machines is at the same time simplified. It is furthermore possible by appli ation of the present invention to obtain straightening machines of greater length for larger profiled elements to be treated, which has not hitherto appeared possible with acceptable monetary outlay.

A convenient embodiment of the invention consists in providing at least one stationary tie bar for interconnecting the base plate and bridge and absorbing tensional forces occurring. This tie bar may be constructed in various ways, e.g. one or more rods or braces may be provided or enclosed bodies or transverse frames may be used.

In order to use the available space in the most efiicient manner it is further provided by the invention that the tie bar, e. g., in the form of a frame-shaped element, simultaneously serves to receive the axle of a straighteningroller. In particular the arrangement may be such that a housing mounting the axle of a straightening roller may be received in the tie bar so as to be adjustable in its height. The tie bar is preferably located in the centre of the machine, i.e., equi-distantly from the lateral uprights or supports of the machine frame.

The connection between the tie bar and the base plate and bridge may be effected in various ways, e.g., by means of screw connections or by a shrinking connection. It is recommended that this connection be in the form of a simple mechanical locking engagement of the parts, e.g., a clamping engagement therebetween. In particular the tie bar may have surfaces which are directed towards each other and which engage the base plate and the bridge; for example, the tie bar may be formed with T-shaped ends which engage in complementary recesses in the base plate and bridge. The means of mutual connection between the lateral uprights of the machine frame and the base plate and bridge may be formed in analogous manner.

Modifications in the manner of construction of the novel straightening machine, relative to conventional machines, may be as follows. Firstly, as a result of the provision of one or more tie bars, it is not unreservedly necessary, as has hitherto been the case, to construct the base plate and bridge as a single unit, but these elements may be separate from each other and assembled together as independent units. This considerably simplifies assembly and manufacture of the machine and reduces the costs involved. It is also considerably easier to transport the separate, relatively small, individual structural components, than a large unit. The construction of very long machines for modern purposes is in particular greatly simplified; indeed, application of the present invention may be the means of making the construction of such straightening machines possible at all.

Instead of a stationary tie rod of the kind described above, or preferably in addition thereto, it is possible to providein a machine having housings for mounting the axles of straightening rollers which are shiftable in the lengthwiise direction of the machine-one or more of these housings as a connecting means between base plate and bridge and servin to absorb the tensional forces occurring during straightening work. In this way it is possible to provide, at intervals regularly distributed lengthwise of the whole machine, clamping or bridging elements serving to oppose undesirable bending and distortion of the machine frame. When a stationary tie bar is provided, its effects will be further supplemented in a satisfactory manner.

The invention may conveniently be embodied in such manner that one or more housings for mounting the axles of straightening rollers are shiftable on a guide way on the base plate and engage round or under this guide, these housings being provided with one or more connecting members which engage round or over a guide on the bridge of the machine frame. The guide on the bridge may be constituted by the guide way on which the housings for the axles of the upper straightening rollers are shiftable. It is also possible in principle to equip the housings for the axles of the upper straightening rollers with connecting members which engage a guide on the base plate. The housings for mounting the axles of the lower straightening rollers may fulfill their function of connecting means between base plate and bridge serving to absorb the tensional stresses occurring if the connecting members of these housings are combined with upwardly extending parts of indicators or if they are themselves constituted by these indicators.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of a roller straightening machine;

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the machine illustrated in FIGURE 1, on a somewhat larger scale, and

FIGURE 3 is a simplified diagrammatical representation of a machine frame which may form part of the machine shown in FIGURE 1.

The machine illustrated in the drawings is a roller straightening machine having rollers whose mutual spacing is variable. The frame-shaped machine body comprises a base plate generally indicated by reference 1, a bridge generally designated by 2, and also two lateral uprights or supports 3, 4 which interconnect the base plate and bridge at the outer ends thereof. The lateral uprights are not formed integrally with the other structural parts, as is the case in conventional forms of construction, but are separate structural elements which are connected to the base plate and bridge.

At one end of the machine there is provided an infeed block 5 equipped with vertical rollers 6, while at the other end of the machine an outlet block 7 is fitted with vertical rollers 8. These blocks 5, 7 are mounted on guide ways 9 of the base plate 1. On these guide ways two housings 10 are arranged which mount the axles of the associated lower straightening rollers and are arranged so as to be shiftable in the lengthwise direction of the machine.

The bridge 2 has in its lower region guide ways 14 for four housings 15 serving to mount the axles of the associated straightening rollers 16, these housings 15 also being shiftable in the lengthwise direction of the machine.

In the centre between the two lateral uprights or supports 3, 4 is a tie bar which acts in the manner of an intermediate support or upright and is constructed as an enclosed body which extends in the transverse direction of the machine and is fitted with lateral cheeks 21 serving to transmit the forces occurring during the straightening work. This tie bar contains a housing 17 mounting the axle of an associated lower straightening roller 18, housing 17 being guided in a manner known per se so as to be adjustable in its height within the tie bar. The tie bar 20 is equipped with lower and upper butting surfaces 22 and 23 serving to engage the base plate 1 and bridge 2 by way of projections or shoulders of complementary shape formed on the base plate and bridge. In this embodiment of the invention the base plate and bridge consist of two parts 1a and 1b and 2a and 2b respectively. If the base plate or bridge consists of single units, the arrangement may be similar, although in that case the butting surfaces of the tie rod for example will engage in complementary recesses of the base plate and bridge.

The two lateral uprights or supports 3, 4 of the machine are provided with suitable contact surfaces 24, 25 for the parts 1a, 1b and 2a, 2b of the base plate and bridge. Other means, e.g. threaded bolts and the like which may be present for ensuring the mutual connection of the individual parts referred to above are not shown in the drawing.

The forces occurring during straightening work and which are transmitted, via the axles of the straightening rollers and the housings of these axles, to the base plate and bridge are, as a result of the novel form of construction, absorbed not only by the two lateral uprights or supports 3, 4 but also by the centrally located tie bar 20; as a result of this arrangement deformation of the machine frame will be substantially reduced in comparison with that occurring in conventionally constructed machines.

In order to reduce the bending of the bridge still further, the two lower housings 10 mounting the axles of the associated straightening rollers are capable of absorbing tensional forces occurring. The lower portions 13 of these housings 16 engage under the edges of the guide way 9 of the base plate (FIGURE 2). The connection to the bridge 2 is formed by upwardly directed extensions 12 of the housings 10 for the axles of the associated straightening rollers. These extensions 12 also serve as tie bars and engage over the edges of the guide way 14 provided for the upper housings 15 which receive the axles of the associated straightening rollers. In the embodiment shown, the tie bars 12 are simultaneously combined with elements 19 serving for indication purposes. The clearance at the guide ways can be readily selected such that movement of the housings 10 in the lengthwise direction of the machine will not be obstructed, while the desired clamping effect will be achieved while straightening work is being carried out.

All features of the invention described above or shown in the drawings are to be regarded as part of the invention, either singly or in combination, insofar as this is permissible in view of the prior art; this is true even if such features of the invention are not specifically mentioned in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A roller straightening machine provided with straightening rollers and means for varying a spacing therebetween, said machine comprising a base plate, a bridge thereabove and two lateral uprights constituting a frame-shaped body, wherein the improvement comprises an element capable of receiving tension forces occurring during a straightening operation, said element interconnecting said base plate and said bridge.

2. The roller straightening machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said element comprises at least one stationary tie bar.

3. The roller straightening machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the tie bar includes means to receive an axle of an associated straightening roller.

4. The roller straightening machine as claimed in claim SBIWherein said last-mentioned means is vertically adjusta e.

5. The roller straightening machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein said base plate and said bridge include horizontal shoulder surfaces and said tie bar is generally of I-shaped configuration, whereby the inner horizontal surfaces of said tie bar abut said horizontal shoulder surfaces to thereby transfer vertically outwardly-acting References Cited straightening forces to said tie bar.

6. The roller straightening machine as claimed in claim UNITED STATES PATENTS 2, wherein at least one of said base plate and said bridge 712300 10/1902 Huston 72155 is comprised of at least two parts, one end of which is 1,911,321 5/1933 Lorfg 72*63 connected to said tie bar and the other end to said up- 5 2,288,119 6/1942 Welghtman 72164 right 2,870,818 1/1959 Herr 72164 7. The roller straightening machine as claimed in claim I 1, wherein said means for varying the spacing between MILTON MEHR Primary Exammer said rollers comprise housings, said straightening rollers U 8 C1 XR being mounted in said housings, guideways on said base 10 72 160 plate and said bridge and means on said housings embraceably engaging said guideways. 

